Yes, she had, on second thoughts. She had seen exactly such a
path trodden in the front of barracks by the sentry.

And this recollection explained the origin of the path here. Her
father had trodden it by pacing up and down, as she had once seen
him doing.

Sitting on the hedge as she sat now, her eyes commanded a view of
both sides of it. And a few minutes later, Elfride looked over to
the manor side.

Here was another sentry path. It was like the first in length,
and it began and ended exactly opposite the beginning and ending
of its neighbour, but it was thinner, and less distinct.

Two reasons existed for the difference. This one might have been
trodden by a similar weight of tread to the other, exercised a
less number of times; or it might have been walked just as
frequently, but by lighter feet.

Probably a gentleman from Scotland-yard, had he been passing at
the time, might have considered the latter alternative as the more
probable. Elfride thought otherwise, so far as she thought at
all. But her own great To-Morrow was now imminent; all thoughts
inspired by casual sights of the eye were only allowed to exercise
themselves in inferior corners of her brain, previously to being
banished altogether.

Elfride was at length compelled to reason practically upon her
undertaking. All her definite perceptions thereon, when the